'Remain in Mexico' policy in effect as U.S.-Mexico border crossings reach record numbers

YUMA, Ariz. - The "Remain in Mexico" policy is officially in place on Dec. 6 as the number of people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border is reaching record numbers once again.

There have been reports of hundreds of migrants nearing the Yuma County border daily, and on Dec. 6, FOX 9 spoke with migrants who were arriving.

"We want to be on North American ground," an immigrant said. "We run (from) danger in our country, we’re scared for our lives."

About 1,300 migrants were spotted near the Morelos Dam just in one day. Recently, migrant sightings in the area were about 750 on average each day.

More than 1,500 migrants crossed the border illegally Monday, overwhelming Border Patrol agents in the Yuma Sector, the Yuma Sun reported. Several large groups clustered on the U.S. side and waited to be apprehended to make asylum claims. A majority of migrants have come from Cuba, Brazil and Venezuela, the newspaper reported.

The most up-to-date stats that U.S. Customs and Border Protection are reporting on its website shows that this last October, officials encountered more than 21,623 migrants in the Yuma sector. That’s more than a 2,600% increase compared to October 2020.

That puts Yuma in third place for the most encounters out of all southwest sectors, just below Del Rio and Rio Grande Valley, which made national headlines this year after thousands of migrants came flooding through their borders.

Taking a look at numbers across the entire southwest border, they’re up too.

Migrant encounters were more than double this October compared to the last year, seeing almost 165,000 encounters.

Ducey addresses border concerns, blasts Biden administration

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey shared his concerns over Twitter, saying "Yuma is facing an escalating humanitarian and border crisis." He went on to say President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris need to "step up and provide action from the federal government."

The governor traveled to Yuma's border on Dec. 7, saying more needs to be done.

"The border is wide open, and it is unprotected," he remarked.

He announced a repositioning of Arizona’s public safety resources to address the crisis at the border in Yuma.

"We have a continuing crisis at the border. It has been aggravated by recent Biden administration antics. We call on the administration to care about what is going on," Ducey said, blaming president Biden for the surge.

In October, there were more than 160,000 migrants at the southern border, which is a 128% increase from October 2020.

"The drug cartel [is] taking full advantage of these people and rush to get them over the border," he said.

The Biden administration reinstated former President Donald Trump’s "Remain in Mexico" policy this week, with a few changes, allowing migrants to be picked up in the U.S. and told to wait in Mexico for their U.S. immigration court hearings.

Ducey faulted the Biden administration for incrementally reinstating former President Donald Trump’s policy. The administration last week reluctantly announced plans to reinstate the Trump-era policy and agreed to Mexico’s conditions for resuming it.

The reinstated policy began Monday in El Paso, Texas. Ducey said the piecemeal implementation led migrants to rush to other parts of the border and cross into the U.S. before the policy is rolled out more widely.

The governor said the Arizona National Guard will send a helicopter, six vehicles, four all-terrain vehicles and 24 people to help law enforcement.

Border Patrol warns migrants

Agents are warning migrants not to make the dangerous journey.

A statement was released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, saying:

"Unscrupulous smugglers continue to exploit vulnerable migrants. CBP’s message is clear: Our borders are not open. People should not make the dangerous journey. Yuma Sector and our partners across CBP are working expeditiously to screen and process those encountered. Local non-governmental organizations are providing basic needs for the migrants still waiting to be taken into custody along the border.

DHS continues to expel migrants under CDC’s Title 42 authority. Those who cannot be expelled under Title 42 and do not have a legal basis to remain are placed in expedited or full removal proceedings. CBP will continue to treat all migrants with dignity and respect as we process them."

What is the "Remain in Mexico" policy?

The Biden administration has struck an agreement with Mexico to reinstate a Trump-era border policy that forces asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court, U.S. officials said.

Revival of the "Remain in Mexico" policy comes under a court order even as the administration maneuvers to end it in a way that survives legal scrutiny. President Joe Biden scrapped the policy, but a lawsuit by Texas and Missouri has forced him to put it back into effect.

The policy will begin in El Paso, Texas by sending migrants to Juarez, Mexico. It will then expand to other cities in the coming days, including San Diego, Calexico, Nogales, Eagle Pass, Laredo and Brownsville.

Revival of the "Remain in Mexico" policy comes even as the Biden administration maneuvers to end it in a way that survives legal scrutiny. Biden scrapped the policy on his first day in office, but a lawsuit by Texas and Missouri forced him to put it back into effect, subject to Mexico’s acceptance.

Illegal border crossings fell sharply after Mexico, facing Trump’s threat of higher tariffs, acquiesced in 2019 to the policy’s rapid expansion. Asylum-seekers were victims of major violence while waiting in Mexico and faced a slew of legal obstacles, such as access to attorneys and case information.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki last week described the policy as "deeply flawed" but said the administration was working to implement it under the court order.

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